Improved railway-track cleaner



Nl. F. WICKERSHANI. Railroadv TrackI Clearer.

No. 97,577. Patented Dec. V7, .1869.

thtit *taire @anni @twine Leners Patat No. 97,577, daad December 7, 1869.

IMPROVBD RAILWAY-TRACK CLEANER.

The Schedule referred`t in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may coiwern:

Be it known that I, M. F. Wrcxnnslmm of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon, and State of Illinois,have'invented a new and improved Machine for Sweeping Railroad-Tracks and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the same, reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of my improved machine for sweeping railroad-tracks, the case of one brush being removed.I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same in theI line mt, fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to `machines for sweeping railroad-tracks, and is more especially designed for use track, in' such a manner as to clear said track of snow and dirt; the brushes being hung upon lever-arms, which are adapted to be raised and lowered independently of each other, "to permit both brushes to operate upon the rails simultaneously or in succession, andto facilitate the transportation of the machine from place to place, with the brushes out of Contact with the ground.

It consists, secondly, in the combination, with the cylindrical brushes and the main frame of the machine, of guide-aprons, or spouts, by which the snow or dirt isreceived from the brushes and discharged under the forward portion of the frame, upon the outside of the track, or between the rails, and clear of the latter.

It consists, thirdly,'in constructing the axle with transverse plates, which are so arranged as to strengthen and support the main frame, and to balance the sameupon the d1iving-wheels.

It consists, lastly, in the construction of the main framefand'in the arrangement therewith of the truck by which said frame and the brushes are guided, with relation to the track-rails, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the frame of the machine, composed of wood, or other suitable material, mounted at its front end upon a swivelled truck,

B, having il. nged wheels, B'.

This frame is rectangular in shape, andn formed by connecting together the front and rear cross-bars O D by means of parallel side-bars E F, arranged, two upon eachvside, in such a manner as to leave the ccntre of the frame open, as shown in iig. 1.

The frame is mounted upon wheels, G, which are hung upon the ends of the axle a, outside the side-bars E, as shown. The axle is so formed as to'strengthen the frame, while it affords a suicieut support for the wheels. For this purpose it is bent twice, at right angles, near its ends, and the portion a. provided with a plate, 11,-* by which the axle is securely attached to the side-barsE of the frame. By'thisconstruction of the axle, the frame is not only strengthened, but well balanced upon the wheels G. These wheels, and those of the truck B, are so larranged, with relation to each other, that the former shall travel outside the rails ofa street-railroad, while the latter move directly upon the rails.

H are circular brushes, arranged, one upon each side y of the frame, between the parallel bars E F, and immediately over the rails of a railroad-track.

The brushes H are mounted upon axles h, having their bearings in theends of parallel lever-arms I I', which are arranged upon the outer sides of the bars E F, the arms I being hung upon the axles a of the wheels G, and thel arms I, pivoted at e to the inner sides of the bars, E of the frame, as already shown in the drawings.

The lever-arms for each brush extend to the forward portion of the frame, as shown, and are there firmly secured to a cross-bar, K, by which they are operated. By this arrangement the brushes are allowed a slight vertical movement,'independently of each other, when the levers are raised or lowered. When the machine isbeing transported from place to place, the brushes are raised above the tracks by depressing the bars K, either with the foot of the driver, or by other proper means, and held in this position by means of a catch,

fm, affixed to the cross-bar C of the frame, as shown. When it is desired to operate the machine, .the crossbars K are released, and the brushes fall, by their own u gravity, in contact with the rails.

Motion is communicated to the brushes from the driving-wheels G, by means of toothed rims', d, arranged npou the inner faces of the wheels, engaging with pinions g, secured to the outer ends of the axles h of the brushes.

L are cases, of the form shown in iig. 2, arranged upon the side-bars of the frame A, to enclose the upper portion of the brushes, and prevent the snow and dirt from being thrown above the frame, in the operation of sweeping.

rIhe cases are made removable, in order to permit the inspection of the brushes from time to time, and for `facilitating their removal or repair. i

M is the drivers seat, mounted upon the front cross4 AE F, in front of the brushes, with their lower ends resting upon the rails of the track. K

As the machine moves along over the track, in the direction of the arrow 1, the brushes are rotated,"

through the medium of the gearing, in the direction indicated by the arrow 2,`throwing the snow or dirt up the inclined aprons 0 into spouts P, axed to the under side of the bars E F. These spouts incline inward, or toward each other, as shown, and/ discharge the snow or dirt between the rails of the track.

P P are similar spouts, inclined outward, to discharge the snow or dirt upon the outside of the track.

My improved machine is simple in construction, easily operated, and performs the oiiice for which it is designed, in the most thorough manner.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylindrical rotary brushes H, arranged as described, upon the frame A, with relation to the rails of a railroad-track, and hung upon the lever-arms I I' in such a manner as to be raised or lowered simultaneously or in succession, substantially as herein shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the cylindricalbrushes H, and. the main frame A, the pivoted inclined aprons or 'spouts O, and spouts P or P', receiving the dirt directly from the spouts O, substantially as herein shown and described for the purpose speciiied.

v 3. The axle a a', constructed as described, with the plates b, and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4, The frame A, constructed as described, with removable eases L, and adapted to be guided, with relation to the rails of the track, by means of the truck B B', as herein set forth and shown, for the purpose specified.

Y M. F. WIOKERSHAM. Witnesses:

A. BERNSTEIN, J oHN A. SILENCE. 

